Dusk
by Awesome Narwhal
Summary: Scarlet is a young loner living with her family in a small Twolegplace. But Scarlet's life is shaken up and she is forced to flee to the clans by the lake for refuge. She manages to settle into life as a clan cat but a lingering threat from her past comes back to haunt her and Scarlet will have to be brave enough to face it or risk loosing her place among the clans forever.
1. Alligiances and Prologue

Prologue:  
Pale moonlight from a small window shone through the bars of a steel cage onto a heavily pregnant cream she-cat.  
The she-cat stirred restlessly, constantly changing position.  
"Would you just go to sleep?" The tabby tom in the cage below her snapped.  
"Are the kits coming yet, dear?" A plump gray she-cat two cages away asked softly.  
"No," The cream she-cat replied in a quiet voice.  
"What's wrong Leia?" A white tom with black spots lifted his head from the change beside her.  
"I just can't get settled Comet," Leia sighed.  
"For pity's sake!" The tabby snarled. "Thank goodness they're putting you down next, maybe I'll be able to get some sleep after."  
"What are you talking about?" Leia's eyes widened in fear.  
The tabby chuckled to himself. "You know already Leia."  
"Our kits," Comet hissed under his breath.  
"Comet we have to get out of here!" Leia's voice grew high-pitched with panic.  
"We will," Comet promised, beginning to paw desperately at the latch on his cage.  
"It's no use." The tabby lay his head on his paws. "They take us all at some point."  
"No," Comet meowed fiercely. "Not us."  
The tom shrugged. "If you say so."  
After a few minutes of wrestling with the locks, Leia grew frustrated. "Face it, there's just no escaping!"  
Across the room, a mottled brown tom named Dakota shifted his weight from paw to paw uncertainly. "You'll never get it that way," He said finally.  
"Well than how?" Leia pricked her ears.  
"You have get it like this," Dakota stuck paw out through the bars and using his claws, pulled the latch so that his cage door could be swung open.  
Leia and Comet both tried it and after a moment, both their cages unlatched.  
Comet sprang and landed neatly on the wooden floor which Leia just behind him, but in her struggle to get out, her cage had fallen over and landed with a loud clang.  
"They're coming!" A gray and white she-cat in a cage near the door yowled just before the sound of hurrying footsteps could be heard.  
"We have to get out the window!" Comet realized.  
Leia followed his gaze. "How are we supposed to get up there?"  
"Just jump Leia!" Comet ordered as two men turned the corner into the room.  
Leia bunched her haunches and managed to grip the edge of the windowsill, propelling herself all the way up. "Come on Comet!"  
Comet was about to leap when one of the men grabbed him by the loose skin on the back of his neck. Leia darted out the open window, knowing there was no way she could help her mate now.

Allegiances:

~Shadowclan~  
Leader: Hawkstar - Dark brown tabby and white tom with grass green eyes  
Deputy: Foxtail - Tawny she-cat with a white chest, a thick fluffy tail, and amber eyes  
Apprentice: Silverpaw  
Medicine Cat: Whitewillow - Pure white she-cat with green eyes, very sensitive to sunlight  
Warriors:  
Badgerstripe - Brown and white tom with amber eyes  
Sunstorm - Tortoiseshell and white tom with amber eyes  
Softpelt - Fluffy pale gray she-cat with blue eyes  
Sparrowflight - Black tom with a ginger streak by his nose and green eyes  
Frostheart - Pale gray and white she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Scorchpaw  
Cedarfrost - Dark gray and white tom with green eyes  
Stormclaw - Blue gray tom with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Ravenpaw  
Hollywing - Black she-cat with a white chest and green eyes  
Apprentice: Lizardpaw  
Crowflight- Jet black tom with green eyes  
Darkmist - Black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentice: Larkpaw  
Icetail - Pure white she-cat with a thick, fluffy tail and bue eyes  
Snakefang - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Dawnwing - Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes  
Echoshine - Pale gray she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentices:  
Ravenpaw - Black she-cat with green eyes  
Lizardpaw - Dark brown tom with white paws and green eyes  
Silverpaw - Silver tabby and white she-cat with ice blue eyes  
Scorchpaw - Ginger tabby tom with amber eyes  
Larkpaw - Silver she-cat with green eyes  
Queens:  
Leopardstorm - Dappled golden she-cat with green eyes (Mother of Stormclaw's kits, Featherkit and Toadkit)  
Bluemist - Blue gray she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of Thrushkit and Coudkit)  
Kits:  
Featherkit - Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Toadkit - Black and white tom with green eyes  
Thrushkit - Dark brown she-cat with a lighter brown underbelly and amber eyes  
Cloudkit - Blue gray and white tom with blue eyes  
Elders:  
Fleetwind - Dark gray tabby she-cat with a white chest and blue eyes  
Creekmist - Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Scarsky - Dark gray she-cat covered in scars with amber eyes, oldest cat in the clan

~Thunderclan~  
Leader: Honeystar - Light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
Deputy: Brightdawn - Pale ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Bluepaw  
Medicine Cat: Littlepool - Small brown and white tom with green eyes  
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Blossompaw - Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes  
Warriors:  
Sweetbreeze - Pale gray and white she-cat with blue eyes  
Snowstorm - White she-cat with blue eyes  
Emberstorm - Gray tabby tom with green eyes  
Mosspool - Brown she-cat with amber eyes  
Blackwhisker - Black and white tom with green eyes  
Apprentice: Grasspaw  
Wildpelt - Messy ginger tabby tom with amber eyes  
Ivystem - Brindle she-cat with blue eyes  
Aprentice: Firepaw  
Jayshadow - Black tom with yellow eyes  
Cedarclaw - Gray and white tom with blue eyes  
Cherryfeather - Cream she-cat with green eyes  
Hazelwing - Pale ginger she-act with amber eyes  
Birchpool - Brown and white tom with blue eyes  
Fernheart - Gray tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentices:  
Bluepaw - Blue gray she-cat with green eyes  
Firepaw - Dark ginger tom with amber eyes  
Grasspaw - Pale gray tom with blue eyes  
Queens:  
Mistyclaw - Gray and white she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of Wildpelt's kits, Smokekit and Graykit)  
Kits:  
Ashkit - Dark gray tom with blue eyes  
Graykit - Gray and white she-cat with blue eyes  
Elders:  
Tabbyfur - Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

~Windclan~  
Leader: Harestar - Brown and white tom with amber eyes  
Deputy: Dawnfeather - Cream she-cat with a white tail tip and blue eyes  
Medicine Cat: Stonefoot - Dark gray tom with green eyes  
Warriors:  
Hollowflight - Black tom with blue eyes  
Heavytail - Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Dapplepelt - Speckled gray she-cat with green eyes  
Patchclaw - Black and white tom with green eyes  
Apprentice: Leafpaw  
Swiftdawn - Gray and white she-cat with amber eyes  
Petalfrost - Brown and white she-cat with amber eyes  
Apprentice: Crowpaw  
Darkclaw - Dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes  
Vinetail - Black she-cat with a long tail and green eyes  
Shadeheart - Dark gray she-cat with green eyes  
Duskcloud - Black tom with white paws and amber eyes  
Cloverwing - Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Fallowclaw - Pale ginger she-cat with green eyes  
Pinetail - Brown and white tom with amber eyes  
Apprentices:  
Leafpaw - Brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Crowpaw - Black tom with green eyes  
Queens:  
Icewhisker - White she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of Darkclaw's kits, Tigerkit, Longkit, and Kestrelkit)  
Willowpool - Light brown she-cat with amber eyes (Expecting Duskcloud's kits)  
Kits:  
Tigerkit - Dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes  
Longkit - Brown and white tom with blue eyes  
Kestrelkit - Silver she-cat with blue eyes  
Elders:  
Loudstorm - Pale gray tabby tom with amber eyes  
Emberflight - Gray and white tom with green eyes

~Riverclan~  
Leader: Splashstar - Blue gray she-cat with blue eyes  
Deputy: Rippleheart - Silver tabby tom with blue eyes  
Medicine Cat: Poolsplash - Very pale gray she-cat with green eyes  
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Ferretpaw - Cream tom with amber eyes  
Warriors:  
Reedclaw - Black tom with green eyes  
Apprentice: Ashpaw  
Berryfur - Cream and white tom with amber eyes  
Sedgefoot - Silver she-cat with darker paws and blue eyes  
Mintstream - Silver and white she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentice: Swanpaw  
Pebblenose - Dark gray tom with blue eyes  
Whiteflower - White she-cat with a few gray spots on her neck and amber eyes  
Silverfang - Silver tom with long front teeth and blue eyes  
Apprentice: Breezepaw  
Troutpelt - Gray tabby tom with green eyes  
Heronflight - Light gray she-cat with amber eyes  
Roseshine - Light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentices:  
Swanpaw - Cream she-cat with blue eyes  
Ashpaw - Dark gray tom with green eyes  
Breezepaw - Black she-cat with white paws and green eyes  
Queens:  
Gorsefur - Light brown she-cat with amber eyes (Mother of Pebblenose's kits, Sagekit and Hazelkit)  
Kits:  
Sagekit - White tom with green eyes  
Hazelkit - Pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes  
Elders:  
Raggedclaw - Brindle tom with green eyes  
Creampelt - Cream she-cat with amber eyes

~Cats Outside The Clans~  
Dakota - Mottled brown tom with amber eyes  
Comet - White tom with black spots and blue eyes  
Leia - Cream she-cat with green eyes  
Scarlet - Swift tawny she-cat with green eyes  
Molly - Thin black she-cat with blue eyes  
Phantom - White tom with blue eyes  
Jasper - Black and white tom with blue eyes  
Zoey - Silver and white she-cat with green eyes  
Sage - Pale brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
Oliver - Large black and white tom with green eyes  
Carissa - Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes  
Holly - Elderly black she-cat with green eyes  
Athena - Large silver she-cat with blue eyes  
Sampson - Handsome chestnut tom with amber eyes  
Stella - Brown and white she-cat with blue eyes  
Radar - Black tom with white ears and green eyes  
Lucifer - Large dark gray tabby tom with unusually sharp claws and ice blue eyes  
Liam - Small gray tom with blue eyes  
Ginger - Dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:  
Scarlet opened her eyes at a plaintive wail and looked around the small clearing where her family had made their home.  
"I'm hungry!"  
Scarlet shivered as Jasper wailed again. He had been born the smallest of the litter and six moons later he was still undersized.  
"Then catch something!" Leia retorted irritably.  
"I'll go hunting and bring you back a nice fat mouse," Phantom promised Jasper. "Do you want to come with Scarlet?"  
"Sure," Scarlet replied, standing up to join him. The four littermates were used to having hunt for themselves as Leia could hardly be bothered to care for her kits. She often said it would easier if their father was there but Scarlet didn't know her father. The only information Leia had shared was that the two had grown up together.  
"Can I come too?" Their younger sister Molly asked eagerly.  
Phantom shook his head. "We need you to stay here with Jasper."  
"But Leia-" Molly stopped abruptly when she realized what she had been about to say.  
Phantom licked the top of Molly's head. "Just be watchful, alright?"  
"Alright," Molly agreed reluctantly.  
Phantom purred. "Good. Are you ready Scarlet?"  
"Of course," Scarlet answered. "Where are we going?"  
"We want to head away from the moor so closer to the marsh," Phantom decided.  
Scarlet made a face. The marsh was a terrible place to hunt. They could often find herbs there if one of them was injured or sick but in Scarlet's opinion, that was the only thing it was good for.  
"Don't be like that," Phantom smiled. "There are plenty of good things to catch there."  
"If you say so," Scarlet sighed.  
~*O*~  
"Are you sure it's okay that we hunt here?" Scarlet inquired. The heavy scent markings were nothing she hadn't noticed before, but they had been even stronger lately.  
"I'm positive," Phantom brushed off her concerns.  
Scarlet scented the air, catching a whiff of a frog. "I can't smell anything worth eating," She reported to Phantom.  
He didn't respond. The white tom was crouched down with his ears flattened. Suddenly, Phantom sprang into a thick clump of grass and emerged several moments later holding a plump mouse.  
Scarlet was about to congratulate him on the catch when Phantom's eyes widened in fear.  
Without a word, he shoved into the grass with him.  
Scarlet remained silent. She knew Phantom had a reason for everything he did.  
Four strange cats emerged from over a slight rise in the landscape.  
"Those loners have been here again," A light gray she-cat growled.  
"We should track them down and teach em' to stay out of our territory," A smaller dark gray tom lashed his tail.  
"We'll do whatever Splashstar tells us," A silver tabby meowed firmly.  
"Rippleheart's right, Splashstar knows what's best for the clan," A gray tabby murmured.  
"What's best for the clan is if we don't have loners taking our prey all the time," The pale she-cat snorted.  
"Silence. Heronflight and Ashpaw, mark the border again. Troutpelt and I will have a look around," Rippleheart ordered.  
Still grumbling, the dark gray tom and she-cat moved away. The two tabbies stayed behind.  
"They have a point." Troutpelt muttered.  
"I know," Rippleheart admitted. "But Splashstar's a new leader and she needs support."  
"We found a scent trail leading into our territory and it's fresh!" Heronflight bounded up with the hill with Ashpaw right behind her.  
"Where?" Rippleheart demanded.  
"This way," Ashpaw led them back towards the border.  
"We have to leave. Now," Phantom pushed Scarlet out of the bushes as soon as the four cats disappeared.  
~*O*~  
"You probably saw some clan cats. They can be really territorial," Leia commented as soon as she had heard Phantom and Scarlet's story.  
"How do you figure that?" Phantom narrowed his eyes.  
"A cat I know, Sage, has told me about them," Leia shrugged.  
"And you didn't want to warn us?" Scarlet bristled.  
"You know how to look after yourselves," Leia replied. "Which reminds me, I'm leaving."  
"What do you mean you're 'leaving'?" Jasper tipped his head to the side.  
"I'm going to live with a human I've been visiting for the past two moons," Leia explained.  
"Two moons?" Phantom narrowed his eyes. "While we've been starving?"  
Leia ignored him. "You're welcome to come with me."  
"No way!" Phantom spat.  
"I'd rather die," Scarlet added.  
Molly and Jasper exchanged glances. "We're straying," They meowed at the same time.  
"I didn't expect anything different," Leia shrugged dismissively. "I'll be living in the house beside the stables if you ever want to come see me."  
"See you?" Phantom snorted disdainfully. "Don't make me laugh."  
Leia looked disappointed but simply nodded. "Very well. Look after yourselves."  
"It's what we've always done," Scarlet flicked her tail.  
Leia hesitated a moment longer before turning away. She soon vanished into the yard of a nearby house.  
"What do we do now?" Molly broke the silence that followed their mother's departure.  
"We start over," Phantom answered firmly. "I've heard of an abandoned city two days travel from here. Plenty of alley cats live there, we can make a new life there."  
"Abandoned?" Scarlet mewed uncertainly.  
"There are no humans," Phantom told her.  
"Why?" Jasper looked around nervously.  
Phantom shrugged. "They just moved on I guess. We leave tomorrow morning."


End file.
